What to Do if You’re Stuck on the Floor After a Fall & Can't Get Up

It’s well known that elderly people face an extra risk from falls. In fact, a quarter of seniors in the USA fall each year.

Some of the risks of falls are also well known. Older people, especially those with weaker bones, may experience fractures or breaks. Fractured hips are particularly common among those who are more seriously injured.

However, there’s another danger that’s just as important. Elderly people can end up spending a long time lying on the floor if they fall or faint and then can’t stand up. That can be very harmful.

Why is lying on the floor after a fall such a big problem, and how can you address this risk? Read on to learn all this and more.

Common causes of falls

There are many reasons why people aged 65 and up are more prone to falling.

For one, they may have decreased mobility, including weaker muscles, less flexibility, and poorer balance. Seniors with diabetes can lose feeling in their feet, which makes it easier to trip and fall.

Vision problems can also lead to a fall. Many older people find it more difficult to see, whether that’s due to cataracts, near-sightedness, or something else. Seniors typically also have worse night vision.

Medications and health conditions can cause dizziness, fainting, or confusion that contribute to a fall.

An elderly person who’s less able to keep up with home maintenance can also end up falling if clutter, spills, or other obstacles on the floor trip them up. In general, there are lots of problems in the home that can increase the likelihood of falls – like loose carpets, poor lighting, or a lack of handrails along stairs.

Icy weather can make an older person slip, of course. So can dementia, because it can make an older person confused about what they are seeing. For example, seniors with dementia may think that they are looking at a hole in the floor when they’re actually looking at a dark rug.

Lastly, issues with rushing to the bathroom are also considered a risk factor for a fall, because they may lead to an elderly person tripping over as they’re hurrying.

What happens when seniors have to lie on the floor after a fall

Sometimes, an older person is unable to stand up after a fall because of an injury. At other times, they may just not have the strength to lift themselves up. Either way, if no-one’s around, seniors in this situation may find themselves lying on the floor for an extended period of time. The medical community sometimes calls this experience a “long lie.”

It’s easy to imagine some of the problems with this situation:

• Elderly people may grow hungry or thirsty when nothing is within reach – ultimately even becoming dehydrated.
• If the weather is cold or hot, their body temperature may become too high or low, leading to hypothermia or heatstroke.
• Pressure sores can be an issue, too – and that’s more likely if the older person is unable to get up to go to the bathroom.
• There’s also a condition called rhabdomyolysis that can happen – this is when muscles start to break down.

Last but not least, there can be severe psychological effects of a “long lie” on the floor. Older people may become very afraid of future falls. As a result, they may hesitate to walk, which causes muscles to weaken, which increases the risk of falling again.

What to do if you’re stuck lying on the floor after a fall

If you’re conscious after a fall, experts generally recommend taking a few moments to calm yourself and check for injuries.

If you don’t feel injured, you can try to roll onto your hands and knees. Once on your hands and knees, try to crawl to a chair or bed where you can sit.

Turn yourself so that you are on your hands and knees with the chair’s seat at your side. Carefully, rest a hand on the chair seat and kneel, moving one leg forward so that you are kneeling on one knee with the other foot flat on the floor in front of you.

The foot that’s on the floor should belong to the stronger leg, if you have one leg weaker than the other. Your knee that’s still on the floor should be the one that’s closer to the chair seat.

From this position, push yourself up using your stronger leg and your hand on the chair while turning so that you can take a seat on the chair.

An alternative technique

If the above method is not possible, some suggest an alternative method. If cushions and a chair are available, you can sit on the floor, slide yourself backward so that you’re sitting on a cushion, then try to add additional cushions to the ones under you until you are high enough to transition to sitting in the chair.

You can also buy inflatable cushion devices that work this way, inflating under you until you are sitting on them as you would a normal chair. These are called “lifting cushions.”

Check with your doctor

All this being said, these techniques for getting up from the floor may not be for everyone. Certain medical conditions could make them unadvisable, so check with your doctor to talk about a strategy for getting up if you fall.

If you’re unable to get up by yourself even using these methods, experts advise against getting an untrained friend or relative to try to pull you up into a standing position. Professional elderly care workers know how to lift a person safely, but untrained people don’t – so they may injure you or themselves while trying to help.

However, friends or helpers can help you to stand by bringing over a chair or other objects we’ve mentioned that can help you get up to a sitting position.

How to avoid being stuck on the floor in future

As you can see, there are plenty of good reasons to want to avoid ever getting stuck on the floor. So, if you’re prone to falls, or if you’re just over 65 and live alone, it’s smart to work on reducing the risks you’ll face.

Checking through your home for obstacles, talking to your doctor about medications, and adding features like grab bars can all help avert falls. Since doctors are so aware of the dangers of falling, they’ll be keen to help you prevent it. They may even recommend an exercise routine that’s good for strength and balance.

But you’ll also need to have a plan about what you’ll do if you fall. You could try to keep your cell phone with you, but it only takes one forgetful moment to leave you on the floor without any way of calling for help. It’s also true that many falls occur in bathrooms or showers where you wouldn’t have your phone at hand.

That’s why official sources like the National Institute on Ageing suggest getting a device that’s showerproof, stays with you all the time, and lets you call for help by pressing just one button.

A medical alert device like this can be literally a lifesaver – and it can help a senior avoid the upsetting situation of being stuck on the floor, unable to move without assistance. The simple press of a button on a device like the SureSafeGo puts you in touch immediately with family and friends. And you can talk to them directly through the alert device, so you can get reassurance and comfort while help is on its way.

Moreover, the SureSafeGo offers another layer of protection, too. Its automatic fall detection tech is constantly checking to see whether you’ve fallen. If the device believes it has sensed a fall, it will call for help all by itself. That’s crucial for a person who is unconscious after a fall and not able to press a button.

Get peace of mind about falls with SureSafe

For over a decade, SureSafe has been working to keep seniors safe through our affordable, easy-to-use medical alert devices. With our medical alerts like the SureSafeGo, we provide peace of mind to older people and their families who are worried about falls.

So, if you’re concerned about what you’ll do after a fall, why not reach out to our expert team to have a chat? There are plenty of ways to get in touch. Fill in our contact form, call our helpline at 888 540 7193, or email us at [email protected]. You could also use our live chat or request a call back.